1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-display apparatus that realizes an image by connecting a plurality of panels, and a method thereof, and more particularly, to a multi-display apparatus that can minimize a disconnection of an image at seams of the multi-display apparatus, and a method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Multi-display apparatuses realize a large screen by connecting a plurality of display panels. In the past, a large screen was realized by connecting a plurality of Braun tubes, also known as cathode ray tubes (“CRTs”), into a large TV. However, recently, due to an increasing demand for a large screen in small mobile apparatuses such as mobile phones or personal digital assistants (“PDAs”), apparatuses that realize the large screen by connecting flat panel displays, such as liquid crystal displays (“LCDs”), field emission displays (“FEDs”), plasma display panels (“PDPs”), and organic light-emitting diodes (“LEDs”), are being produced.
Conventionally, the multi-display apparatuses are manufactured by connecting unit panels 10 in parallel end to end to realize a multi-screen, as depicted in FIG. 1. However, an image at a seam between a pair of unit panels 10 is not smoothly formed but viewed as disconnected when the pair of unit panels 10 is connected. As schematically depicted in FIG. 1, a flat panel display has a sealing structure in which a display device 12 that forms a pixel is mounted on a substrate glass 11 and a cover glass 13 covering the display device 12 is attached to the substrate glass 11. As such, the cover glass 13 basically has a rim thickness t and the display device 12 is located on an inner portion of the cover glass 13. Therefore, an image separation of as much as a disconnection distance w occurs at the seam between the pair of display devices 12. The distance w cannot be reduced since the distance w is inevitably required for the cover glasses 13 to cover the adjacent display devices 12 in order to protect the display devices 12. Therefore, there is a limitation in improving the disconnection of an image at the seam between the pair of unit panels 10 in the above-described parallel connection structure.
To overcome such limitation as described-above, as depicted in FIG. 2, a structure has been disclosed in which a pair of first and second unit panels 21 and 22 is disposed with a step difference and pixel boundaries between the pair of first and second unit panels 21 and 22 are vertically aligned along line L. Hence, after the pair of first and second unit panels 21 and 22 are disposed with the step difference as depicted in FIG. 2, a right side boundary surface of a pixel of a display device 21b of the first unit panel 21 is aligned with a left side boundary surface of a pixel of a display device 22b of the second unit panel 22 along vertical line L. In such form, the disconnection of an image at a seam between the pair of first and second unit panels 21 and 22 is minimized when the image is seen from above the pair of first and second unit panels 21 and 22.
When the pair of first and second unit panels 21 and 22 is disposed one on another as illustrated in FIG. 2, it is advantageous for ensuring the image connection. As an example of a unit panel, a top emission type unit panel in which light is emitted towards the covers 21c and 22c is shown in FIG. 2, and there is a height difference between the first and second unit panels 21 and 22. There is also height difference in a bottom emission type unit panel in which light is emitted towards the substrates 21a and 22a. 
Furthermore, the multi-display apparatuses as described above are mostly manufactured in a folder type structure in which a pair of panels is connected with a hinge for mobile convenience. That is, when a multi-display apparatus is carried around, the pair of panels is folded, however, when the multi-display apparatus is used, the pair of panels are unfolded into one screen as depicted in FIG. 1 or 2.